Heaven's Formula

"As long as you don't take the initiative to reveal your identity, they won't make it difficult for you." Gan lifted the table and threw it on the ground violently, smashing the dishes and dishes into pieces.This action caused the panic-stricken crowd to explode, rushing to flee in all directions. "Let's go, see you tomorrow."

Xia Fan nodded, turned around and mixed into the crowd.

And in the peripheral vision, there are already several groups of people coming to surround them.

……

"You are Xia Buping, right?"

The door was pushed open, and a man in a brocade robe walked into the room and put a directory in front of him.

Xia Fan thought for a while before realizing that the name referred to him, "Yes, it's me."

It had been almost eleven or twelve hours since he was separated from the members of the Privy Council.All those who went to the banquet were arranged to live in a side hall next to the palace - there were many small rooms separated by themselves, probably used for the servants in the palace.Therefore, when inviting everyone to enter, the Ministry of Rites specially sent several officials to coordinate the matter, for fear that there would be conflicts between the invited guests and the guards.

"Sorry, what happened last night surprised you." The other party said very politely, "We have verified that you have no suspicions, and with the guarantee of Xu Guo's caravan, you only need to press your fingerprint on it, and you will be You can leave here first."

"How's the situation outside now? Has the assassin issue been resolved?" Xia Fan asked pretending to be concerned.

"It's not that easy." He sighed, "An assassin is small, but the organization behind the assassin, or their conspiracy is the big deal. As a native of Xu, you should not inquire about this matter. In addition, Shangyuan City started yesterday Since the city has been closed, you can shop freely in the city, but please don’t change your temporary residence address, and Honglu Temple can contact you if anything happens.”

When Xia Fan walked out of the palace compound through the side door, a carriage was already waiting beside the street.

He climbed into the carriage calmly and let the driver lead him slowly on the road.

About a quarter of an hour later, the car stopped for a few seconds, and a familiar figure climbed into the car.

It is the envoy of the Privy Council, Xin Wu.

"Master Xia, are you alright?"

"It's nothing serious, you take me back to Wanjing Tower first." Xia Fan showed a little anxiety at this moment, the news that Prince Qiguo was stabbed while setting off the lantern must have spread throughout the city.He didn't return all night because of the martial law, I'm afraid Li and the others are guessing about his situation.Compared with the Privy Council, who didn't want to have a direct conflict with the royal family, those in the inn didn't even recognize who the prince was. If Li and Luo Qingqing couldn't help but make a move, the situation would be irreparable.

"Master Xia, please don't worry, I have already sent someone to inform your companions, they should not be too worried."

"……hope so."

The carriage galloped all the way, and after a quarter of an hour, it drove into the vestibule of Wanjing Building.

As soon as Xia Fan got out of the carriage, he saw a figure rushing towards him, hugging him in public!

That skillful gesture and smell had already revealed the identity of the comer.

Xia Fan had to pull out a hand to hold Li's crooked bamboo hat, so as not to expose her ears inadvertently.

Before he could speak, Li let go of him again, grabbed his cheeks with both hands and looked around, as if to confirm that he was not short of weight.

Luo Qingqing, Fang Xiandao and others also followed.

"I have already said that he will not have any major problems. Divination has already proved this."

"Master, don't you have nothing to say?"

"Unable to account for proves that the source of the unfathomable has not changed. If he does not exist, my alchemy will be impeccable."

"If someone wants to beat you because of this, Qianzhi won't help the young master stop it."

Xia Fan glanced at everyone, and there was a warm current surging in his heart.Qian Yan's words may be right, he is a different kind in this world, maybe no one will really understand him in the end, but even so, this does not prevent them from caring about him.

"Let's go in and talk." Xia Fan nodded.

Chapter 268

Combined with everyone's rhetoric, Xia Fan also understood the situation outside the palace that night.

The crown prince was almost assassinated in front of thousands of people, so the news spread very fast, and when it reached the Wanjing Tower, the floating lights hadn't even been extinguished.

Li Ben planned to go to the palace to find out, but was stopped gently by Luo. According to the latter's understanding, after such a thing happened, the security of the palace would increase exponentially.If there is still a little space for diving in the usual time, going now is definitely a self-guided choice.

The fact is just as Luo Qingqing expected, the people on the street were quickly cleared by the imperial army, patrolling guards appeared at the entrances of all streets, and even the roofs of some houses began to have crossbowmen in place.Once they leave their residences in spite of the ban, they will undoubtedly become the most visible targets.

So Li released Gun Gun to go to the palace.

Although the cat spirit can't talk, its IQ can already understand and implement the intention of the "master".

In the end, according to rolling feedback, there was no strong "bloody smell" around the Palace Square - which meant that the assassination was only aimed at the prince, and there was no turmoil or suppression at the scene.In the middle of the night of the Lantern Festival, which came to an abrupt end, this was a piece of reassuring news. Coupled with Fang Xiandao's divination, everyone decided to wait for one night and make a decision based on tomorrow's situation.

After a sleepless night, everyone waited for the news of the delivery of Xinwu.

"So the prince himself is safe and sound?" Qian Yan asked.

"Yes. Otherwise, I guess it wouldn't be so easy to let people go over there."

"It's a pity." Luo Qingqing's tone was slightly regretful.

Xia Fan quickly glanced behind him—fortunately, Xin Wu didn't follow into the house.

"This is a bit strange," Fang Xiandao pondered for a moment, "The crown prince is the first heir of the Qi Kingdom, and the Holy Majesty personally approved it. The Privy Council has no reason to trouble him, so it can only be attributed to the assassin's personal thoughts. But... why did you choose it on the Lantern Festival? Not to mention that it is easy to reveal whereabouts, and there are many guards around the prince, and even this person didn't even expect the life-saving magic weapon."

"No matter what the reason is, the Privy Council must be in trouble now." Qian Yan showed a little smile, "The six departments of the imperial court and the Privy Council have been at odds with each other, and now is undoubtedly an excellent opportunity to beat the other party."

"Anyway, it has nothing to do with Jinxia, ​​we just need to wait for the result." Luo Qingqing said indifferently.

"I don't know how long the lockdown will last. It would be nice if it could end sooner." Fang Yanni still had some lingering fears.

"By the way, did the Yuyi you met at the Wandeng Banquet mention the specific content of the ceremony?" Li changed the subject.

Xia Fan shook his head, "That guy is very tight-lipped, and he will know when he speaks."

"So they're really just meeting you for a meal?"

"I doubt it too, but that seems to be the case."

"Qianzhi has a problem, does Yuyi look very powerful?" The little girl interjected.

"How should I put it..." Xia Fan thought for a while, "It feels like a very ordinary middle-aged man, about 35 or six years old, and there is nothing special about him except for his rough appearance."

"Ordinary?" Fang Xiandao snorted, "The other party is a first-rank official in the Privy Council. People who can climb to this position have proven themselves by relying on bloody achievements. If you have to deal with him in the future, you should be cautious. it is good."

"Master, are you caring about others?"

"I'm thinking about the future of the Fang family!"

Xia Fan couldn't help but twitched the corner of his mouth.

Rather than saying that Yuyi is "dry", he is more concerned about the words of another green sword "Yunshang Layman", especially the sentence "The grand ceremony is not a trifling matter, it is related to the future of the countries"-Could it be that the Qiguo Privy Council made a fuss The internal ceremonies are also related to other kingdoms?

Not only that, this person also mentioned a strange term.

"Qianyan," he looked at the living fossils in the room, "Have you ever heard of the position of the Privy Council Envoy in the Privy Council?"

Qian Yan shook his head, "What is that?"

"Judging from their tone, this person's status seems to be higher than Yuyi's."

After thinking for a while, she still denied, "The division of Yuyi Qingjian guards can be traced back to the Yongwang period, but at that time the title was more representative of ability rather than merit. Later, people just inherited this name. Whether it is the Privy Council Before or after the establishment, I have never heard of this official position."

Xia Fan nodded. It seems that the answer to this question will not be known until the ceremony begins.

"Ah... there is one more thing." Li suddenly remembered something, "Don't forget to report to Her Royal Highness later, yesterday she took the initiative to send a message to ask."

Uh - Xia Fan's expression froze suddenly.He forgot about this matter last night and agreed to report the news every day, but something went wrong on the third day.

Even if it is force majeure.

"The person who picked you up, isn't he going to leave?" Luo gently leaned against the window and said, "The carriage is still parked at the gate, and there is no sign of him in the carriage."

"Is it?"

Xia Fan glanced out of the inn with some surprise, then walked to the door of the wing room, opened the sliding door, and saw that the messenger was still guarding the place and did not leave.

"Lord Xia," Xin Wu condensedly said, "I have something to tell you."

After leading him into the hall, Xia Fan motioned, "What's the matter?"

He suddenly bowed down, "I also ask Master Xia to help the Privy Council find out the truth, so as to prevent Xiao Xiao from turning the world upside down and benefiting from it!"

"Wait..." Xia Fan was stunned, "Are you talking about me?"

"There is no second choice but you."

"You get up first."

"If you don't agree—"

Before he could finish speaking, Xia Fan pulled him off the ground, "Sit down and talk. This is the Privy Council of Gyeonggi, and you asked me, a prime minister of Jinxia City, to help you find out the truth? It’s not something I can help if I’m willing to help, right?”

"You are indeed only a hundred blades in name, but you have the potential to become a core member in the list of the Privy Council. This is not something you can get in exchange for high or low official titles." Xin Wu insisted, "If it is normal, let you help the president There are naturally doubts in the government's investigation, but now most of the alchemists in Shangyuan City have rushed to Su and You. In the palace. If you want to choose a person to take over the overall situation, only you are the most suitable!"

"Besides, this is not my idea alone." He raised his voice a little bit higher, "After I learned the news of the accident in the palace last night, I have secretly contacted my colleagues who were hiding in the dark——although their abilities and levels are all It is very limited, but it is unanimously agreed that the reserve core members will instruct them. There are 32 of these alchemists, as long as you nod and agree, they will all become your helpers."

Chapter 269 Go with the trend

"You revealed my news to other people?" Xia Fan asked in a calm voice.

"No, your real identity and the purpose of this trip are all secrets of the Privy Council. I am aware of this." Xin Wu quickly added, "I just mentioned that there is a person who is at the top of the list and is deeply trusted by the core. But no specific information about you was disclosed. If you don’t say that, it is estimated that it will be difficult for them to reach an agreement in a short time.”

Xia Fan understood what he meant.

The main force of the Privy Council went out, and the rest of the pillars were "snapped out" at the Wandeng Banquet. The remaining ones are all small fish and shrimps, and he, an outsider, has become the one with the highest status.Xin Wu wanted to do something to restore the disadvantage, but was unable to coordinate the overall situation, so he approached him.

"What if I don't agree?"

In the final analysis, this is an internal contradiction between the Privy Council and the court.If the prince trusts these alchemists, he will release them soon. If he is wary of the Privy Council and wants to take this opportunity to dismantle this special organization that has lasted for nearly a hundred years, then Xia Fan will be happy to hear it.

As far as Jinxia City is concerned, the two are the same breed, with the same degree of decay.

"That matter may not be resolved until the second prince returns. But before that..." Xin Wu clenched his fists, "The Privy Council is likely to suffer huge losses. Losing people's hearts is a trivial matter. Once invaded by overseas enemies , the consequences can be said to be unimaginable!"

"Overseas enemies?" Xia Fan frowned, "What do you mean?"

"It's normal if you don't know... His Royal Highness Ning should have told you this. In recent years, there have been many cases of foreign envoys spying on the intelligence of the Privy Council in Gyeonggi, most of which have been ignored. Although I don't understand this behind the scenes, but obviously they didn't do it out of good intentions or curiosity."

He seemed to have heard this before.

Xia Fan thought about it, and found that Ning Wanjun had said the same thing—"The Holy Majesty doesn't want to see these outsiders. There are several foreign envoys stationed in Shangyuan City, which has already made a mess."

"Are you sure there is something hidden behind this matter?"

"I can only think so." Xin Wu said bluntly, "Things happened too strangely, and the prince didn't have a strong sensibility around him. If he wants the alchemist to achieve the assassination scene, someone must cooperate with him. And But these envoys from overseas are all registered as people who are sensitive!"

"The question is, what can we do if we find out? Don't you tell yourself that the past cases are basically gone?"

"That's because the other party is an envoy and lives in the Honglu Temple. Without conclusive evidence, the Privy Council can't do anything. It is well known that the main alchemists went out to fight against the invaders from the Gao Kingdom, and the General Palace has almost become an empty shell—" ——If this matter is really caused by them, I'm afraid they will relax their vigilance at this time." Xin Wu bowed his head, "My lord, this is not only a crisis for the Privy Council, but also an extremely rare opportunity, and I hope you don't want to shirk it! "

These words made Xia Fan look at the envoy again. At least when most of the core members lost contact, he can still analyze the situation and try to take actions to deal with the crisis. This kind of thought can already be called bold and meticulous. .

However, the above situation is only speculation after all. Assuming that there are overseas messengers behind the incident as Xin Wu said, what is the most direct benefit of their doing so?Give the prince a chance to rectify the Privy Council in exchange for a royalist alchemist force?It doesn't sound like a good deal.After all, as long as the prince still has normal thinking, he will definitely understand the truth that local alchemists are more reliable than overseas envoys——

Wait!

Xia Fan stared at the other party, "What did you just say?"

"Uh... this is a crisis in the Privy Council, but it's also—"

"No, the previous sentence."

Xin Wu thought for a while, then asked uncertainly, "It is well known that the main force is fighting against the invaders from the Gao Kingdom, and the General Mansion has almost become an empty shell?"

"So who are the left-behind personnel in the Privy Council now?"

"The... routine officer and handyman."

"Okay, I'll take this job—no, it's my duty to protect the rights and interests of the Privy Council from being infringed by overseas forces." Xia Fan replied straight away.

Xin Wu was overjoyed, "My lord, are you... agreeing?"

"Yes, but don't talk to the remaining alchemists beforehand. The more unclear the situation is, the easier it is for betrayers to appear. If you have any needs, I will raise them with you alone. Is it okay?"

"Yes!" He cupped his hands, "Then there will be Mr. Lao!"

……

Shangyuan City, Tianfu District.

Xia Fan climbed to the top of a pagoda by virtue of the seven-star nameplate given to him by the Privy Council. This pagoda was built 50 years ago and has four floors. It is the smallest of the six pagodas in Shangyuan City.Although there are only four floors, it is the highest overlooking point on Tianfu Street, and it happens to be able to see the complete appearance of the Privy Council's General Mansion two streets away.

"Now you can always say it..." Li took off his bamboo hat, released his ears that had been suppressed for a long time, and trembled in the wind, "The reason why I promised the messenger to help the Privy Council."

From the tone of the fox demon, it seemed that this question had been holding her back for a long time.

Obviously, in Li's view, the Privy Council is her worst enemy. As the murderer who took away Master, she wished that the Privy Council would be torn apart immediately.If she hadn't trusted Xia Fan, she would have protested in Wanjing Building.

"It's actually very simple. This is the best opportunity to sneak into the Gyeonggi Privy Council." Xia Fan explained.

"Sneak into...the Privy Council?" Li asked in surprise.

"That's right. I've been thinking about it before, if that person's guess is correct, what is the biggest benefit for the planner behind the scenes? After thinking about it, only the Privy Council itself." Xia Fan looked at the gray wall in the distance, "Other The local Privy Council is nothing more than a public security institution, but it is different here—it inherits the legacy of the previous dynasty’s techniques, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it is a treasure house in the eyes of insiders.”